Plant Doctor Archive

Something’s eating my kōwhai

Question WELL camouflaged caterpillars are eating all the leaves off young kōwhai trees. Should these be removed if possible? I have some vague memory of hearing something good about these caterpillars!

Answer THE caterpillars of a number of different moth species will eat the leaves of kōwhai trees. Some of these are native, some are not, but it is most likely to be the native kōwhai moth. Usually this does not completely defoliate a tree, and as long as the tree is otherwise healthy, you can safely leave the caterpillars alone and the tree will recover.

However, if the tree is heavily infested, you may wish to try an insecticide spray. If you live in or near west Auckland, you would be wise to contact MAF, as kōwhai is a host species of the painted apple moth.